1. Technical Field
Aspects of the invention relate to a printing system including a printing device that prints images represented by print data on a recording medium and a transmitting server that transmits print data to the printing device, the printing device and the transmitting server being capable of performing data communication.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, printing systems of the above configuration have been known. Among such systems, ones that bills a user when a printing operation is executed in accordance with the print data provided by the server have been suggested.
An example of such a system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. P2001-195224A (hereinafter, referred to as '224 publication). In '224 publication, a system that bills a user upon completion of a printing of an image, using the printing device, represented by the print data. Specifically, according to the '224 publication, there is provided a printing system which is configured to include a server apparatus and a printing apparatus on a network. In this printing system, a client device creates and transmits print data to the server, which transmits the print data to the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus then prints out the image represented by the print data received from the server apparatus. Upon completion of the printing, the printing apparatus transmits information related to a print cost to the server apparatus. The server apparatus measures an actual printing cost based on the information related to the printing cost to obtain a measured printing cost. The printing costs obtained as above are accumulatively added to a printing cost accumulative value, thereby updating the printing cost accumulative value.
According to the system disclosed in '224 publication, billing is effected upon completion of printing. Therefore, if the printing apparatus becomes in a condition where printing cannot be performed before printing of the image represented by the print data, billing is not effected at all.
Because of above configuration, a malicious user may intentionally cause a communication error or a printing error to turn the printing apparatus in a condition where the printing cannot be performed before the entire image is printed. In such a case, although most of the image has been printed, since the printing job has not completed, the user will not be billed. In the printing apparatus, such a condition can occur relatively easily (e.g., when recording medium is not set, when in or toner is run out, and the like). Therefore, even if the printing apparatus is in such a condition, it is difficult to judge whether the condition is caused intentionally or accidentally.